River of Life, Feast of Grace
“Come to the waters,” the prophet Isaiah cries out. “Delight yourselves in rich food!” These images from the Hebrew prophet reveal for us the prodigal character of God who similarly invites us into rich participation in the ordinances of baptism and communion. Far from being two entirely separate things, baptism and communion are profoundly interconnected. Baptism is the unique launching point into a life of discipleship, drenched in grace. Communion is the repeated experience of God’s invitation into life-sustaining relationship, overflowing with love.
This book is for students, pastors, and congregations who want to deepen their understanding of the biblical and theological meanings of baptism and communion in Baptist worship. Those practices, even when infrequent, are highly crystalized moments of intentional encounter with God. Theology happens in those moments. Theology is embodied, articulated, and shaped through what a congregation does in worship, how they do it, and why.
Bringing to bear over ten years’ experience teaching worship and theology in a highly diverse seminary, Dr. Jennifer W. Davidson identifies some of the common struggles and questions that come along with how congregations perform baptism and communion, and provides examples of multicultural liturgies that intentionally engage and embody biblically rooted theological themes in soul-sustaining ways.
Affirming that there is no single right way to perform baptism and celebrate communion, this book will provide readers with the analytical skills needed to create robust services of their own. Its aim is to positively shape a congregation’s understanding of who God is, how God cares about the world, and how Christ-followers can come to perceive God’s invitation to a life of grace through their participation in meaningful services of baptism and communion.
Reviews
Just the resource needed!
As the two ordinances of Baptist and other free church traditions, baptism and communion are worthy of thoughtful preparation, renewed meaning-making, and intentional participation. River of Life, Feast of Grace is just the resource needed to instigate, inform, and inspire such endeavors among ministers and congregants alike. Davidson’s inclusion of diverse voices adds integrity and relevance for faith communities searching for fresh approaches to discipleship.
— Rev. Dr. Marie Onwubuariri, Director of Intercultural Ministries for American Baptist Home Mission Societies
Wonderfully ecumenical!
Jennifer W. Davidson is among the most important scholars on worship in the Baptist traditions today, interweaving practical and theological conversations in this new volume on the ordinances. Her examination of baptism and communion is wonderfully ecumenical and intercultural in its theology, while also insisting on the local, contextual quality of each particular church. Davidson advocated for distinctively Baptist ways of doing theology and worship which are provisional, collegial, and rooted in community practices.
— Rev. Dr. Stephen Butler Murray, former President and Professor of Systematic Theology & Preaching, Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Detroit, Michigan
A feast of images!
A beautifully written book, accessible to lay and ordained alike. Davidson’s deep appreciation for baptism and communion is evident, as is the wisdom stemming from her years of experience teaching in a Baptist seminary. Showing profound respect for the breadth of the Baptist tradition, she offers a feast of images for understanding the ordinances of our faith. She gently encourages rituals that embody these rich meanings, trusting her readers to adopt practices best suited to their context.
— Ruth Meyers, PhD, former Dean of Academic Affairs and Hodges-Hayes Professor of Liturgics, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California
Take this refreshing resource seriously!
In many local churches, baptism and the Lord’s Supper are often relegated to the status of obligatory rituals. In this beautifully written volume, Dr. Jennifer W. Davidson, a theologian of worship as well as a Sunday practitioner, challenges today’s pastors and church leaders to discover these rituals’ deeper, life-giving meaning. When baptism happens, a person not only dies, but also is reborn to discipleship in Christ. When the Lord’s Supper is shared, the gathered community embodied God’s realm of grace.
Dr. Davidson’s personal stories and interviews from a diverse group of church leaders provide insights representative of today’s increasingly multicultural world. More than an historic study of these ordinances, the books is rich with biblical references and worship resources for local churches to revitalize worship with baptism and the Lord’s Supper taking center stage rather than hovering at the periphery. Take this refreshing resource seriously. It can indeed revive the church!
— Don Ng, retired pastor, First Chinese Baptist Church, San Francisco, California and former President of American Baptist Churches, USA, 2013-2015
Handles with grace the common and controversial!
Jennifer W. Davidson hosts a wonderful conversation about two of our most sacred practices in the Christian church. She does not shy away from the tough topics, either. She handles with grace the common and the controversial in a way that reminds the reader of the Spirit’s presence in both. I applaud Davidson for introducing the reader to the reflections of other Baptist leaders, too. She incorporates historical and contemporary notions of baptism and communion in ways that remind us of the diversity and depth of our Baptist perspectives and traditions. Her personal anecdotes make the mystery of the ordinances accessible, while leaving enough mystery for our faith to kick in. This book is a great resource for the worship participant in the pulpit and the pew.
— Adam Bond, PhD, Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University, Richmond, Virginia